Electrical coupling.



I. H. PARSONS. ELBGTRIGAL ooUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED MAILB.- 1910. v 1,014,718, Patented Jan.16, 1912.

SSHEETS-BHEET 1.

I. H. PARSONS. ELECTRICAL GOUPLING. APPLICATION FILED MAR. a, 1910.

1,014,718. Patented Jan. 116, 1912.y 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

vw@ Vwo@ I. H. PARSONS. ELECTRICAL COUPLING. APPLICATION FILED MAILS,1910.

Patented Jan. 16, 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

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u I y/zig ISAAGTHARDY PAnsoNs, or KIBWORTH HAncoURT, NEAR LEICESTER,ENGLAND.

ELECTRICAL GOUPLING. i

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 16,1912.

Application led March 8, 1919. Serial No. 547,956.

kTo all whom it may concern:

over the projecting head of a stud .or knob to make electricalconnection therewlth.

It has for its object.v to so construct the said connector that thesprmginess' of the metal of the same will be assisted by some suitableelastic insulating material to cause the stud or the like to be huggedtightly should the metal members be overstrained, or for any cause failto gri the said stud tightly. In case the meta membersI are wlthoutspring of any kind, the elasticity ofthe insulating material will insurea close electrical Contact.

It has for its further object to completely embed the said contactmembers', as well as the connecting wires, in the said elasticinsulating material leaving onlyv openings,

preferably blind, at each terminal to receive the stud; also, to soconstruct the same that a water-tight, high insulationv connect-ion maybe made withsaid stud.

The nature of my invention will be best understood in connection withthe accompanying drawings,'in which- Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectionof a complete electric connector ;A Fig. 1a an elevation of the stud;and Fig. 1b a plan of said stud. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of aconnector in engagement with its stud. Fig. 3

is a vertical section of a connector with duplicate conductors andcontact members;

Fig. 3a the corresponding vstud therefor.; and

Fig. 3b a view of the underside of the connector. Fig. 4 is a horizontalsect-ion of a shown'in Fig. 4, but provided with du'pli'catey contactmembers. Figs. 7 and 7" are vertical sections of a coupling similar tothat shown in Figs. 4, 5, and 5, but with the members reversed. Fig. 8is a horizontal sect-ion of a connector similar to that shown in Fig. 6,but in which the connection is effected by applying a circular motion toone of the coupling members. Fig. 9 is an elevation of a coupling inposition, but disconnected from the corresponding studs. Figs. 10 and10*1 are longitudinal sections of connectors of ball pattern, and inwhich both 'of the contact members are embedded in an elastic insulatingmaterial; Figs. 11 and 12 are vertical sections illustrating 'couplingsin which conductors of varying lengths may be attached by thoseemploying the same to meet special requirements. Figs. 13 and 14 arevertical sections of a couplmg provided with a long stud.

Similar characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughoutthe several l views.

Referring now to Figs. 1, 1, 1", I employ two D-shaped metal pieces D,D1 as the contact members, said members being preferably formed of wiresbent into the form of a D, and provided with an indentation D2 in thevertical line of the D. These pieces are dispo-sed so as to form acircle, and are embedded in india rubber A, or equivalent insulatingmaterial, forming a disk-shaped pad or cushion E. Opposite to theindentations D2, a circular opening C is made in one side of thecushion, said openings being adapted to receive the metal stud B onwhich the cont-act members are adapted to snap, upon the latterfs beingforced over the same by the pressure, of for example, the users thumb onthe top of the cushion E. The

two pairs of contact members D, D1 are connected by means of a suitableconductor or conductors A2, and preferably by a nonstretchi'ng cord A".The conductor A2, as well as cord A4, is likewise covered with indiarubber which is vulcanized to the cushions E so as, to form -one piecetherewith. The stud B is mounted in an insulating base G, the face ofwhich may be iuted orianged as shown, so that as the cushion E impingesthereon it will establish with the same a water-tight, high insulatingconnection, the contact ymembers producing a back pressure under thehead of the stud. f

Fig. 2 showsthe corresponding parts of the coupling in position,the-cushion E fitti'ngupon the insulating base G which is' adapted to befixed to some support (not shown) as by means oflsuitable screws G5. Aninsulated conducting wire lH lis soldered 4at `H2 to the stud B, and aninsulating filling G3 is provided inthe sink G1.

'Figs 3, 3, 3b, show the contact pieces D, D1 separated to formduplicate connectors. These contact members are securely anchored Withinthe india rubber A, and are connected respectively to the conyductors Aaand A". Through separate openings C, C1 contact may be made with thetwin contact studs B, B1. L

Figs. 4, 5, and 5n illustrate amodified form, the contact piece beingprovided with an o ening C3 and slot. D5 and the piece itsel is providedagainst undulyv moving within the rubber by suitable anchoring horns D,D". The conductor A2 is soldered Vthereto at Ae and A.

Figs. 7 and 7s1 illustrate a coupling of the pattern shown in Figs. 4,-5and 51, but with the members of the coupling reversed. In this latterform a stud B is embedded in the detachable rubber cushion E instead ofbeing iiXed in the base G, and the piece D is .fixed in the insulatingbase G.l

A coupling of construction similar to that.

illustrated and described with references to Fig. 6, is shown in Fig. 8,connection, however, being made by inserting the` studs of thecorrespondin member (not shown) into the holes Da an D4 and thenapplying a circular motion to the connector.

A useful application of the invention-is in those instances where it isdesired to make electrical connection to fixed objects by'means of .aflexible and movable connection as for, example, between a motor-carlantern and the dash-board of the car. In suchinstances, two insulatedstuds T, T1, (Fig. 9) are provided, one being fixed to the lamp holderof the lantern and one to thedash-board of the car. A couplingmembermaybe attached to these studs by simply pressing'upon the cushion E ofthe same.

/Referring to Figs. 10 and 101, a modified form of connector is shown.The contact membersv in this case are in the form of a metallic loop Dand a hook B both of which .are embedded and anchored in elasticinsulating material A. Electrical connection is vformed to facilitatethis movement.

established between the two lmembers by pressing them together with alateral movement so as to cause the hook B to enga e loop D. Thedepressions C and Cg1 are l As the hook B engages theloop D, electricalcontact is made, the elasticity of the rubber in contact tending toforce the two members of the coupling apart, and also to lmaintain 'thenecessary .pressure between the contact surfaces.

In Fig. 11 the contact piece D is shown cup-shaped and is provided withanchoring holes D7: The conductor A2 ,in view of varying requirements asto the'length may be laced in the desired position by the user and)soldered to the contact-piece D as at the point H2. The stud B is inthis embodiment shown split and the hole Ds of piece D` is adapted tosnap over same, the connection being assisted by the back pressure ofthe rubber cushion A bearing against the iange G1, thereby holding themember D in contact with head of the stud D. A water-tight joint isestablished at G1.

Fig. 12 shows a similar construction, the hole in the plate D, however,bein located eccslnt-rically, while the stud B is.- xed centra F is. 13and 14 illustrate a form of coupling such as shown and described inconnection with the'coupling set forth in Figs. 7 and 71. Thestud B inthis form, however, is longer and projects well into its correspondingmember. The said stud projects the Y also upward through the cushion A,and is covered with the insulating material to form a handle A7. Theconductor A2 is, soldered to the stud B at the point H2, and theconductor I-I to a metallic cross-pin D of triangular cross-section.Electrical connection is established between the members 4B and 4D bypushing the stud B into the member G until its head engages the underside of the Ametallic cross-pin D. A Awater-ti ht connection is alsoestablished at G1. any useful applications of this connector will read#ily suggest themselves, and it is obvious that the cushions, the contactpieces, etc., may be made in many 'forms and designs withoutdeparting'from the spirit of my invention.

1. The herein described electric coupling consisting of a suitable stud;a metallic, snap-oncontact member to fit said stud; and suitable elasticinsulating material surrounding said contact member to assist the sprininess ofrthe same, and provided with a sultable'opening through whichconnection with said cont-act member may be made.

2. The herein described electric -coupling consisting of a suitablestud; a metallic contact member to fit -said stud; and suitable elasticinsulating material within which said member is embedded, said materialbeing provided with a blind opening through which connection with thesaid contact member may be made.

3. The herein described electric coupling consisting of a suitable stud;a metallic,

snap-on contact memberto it saidstud; and

suitable elastic insulating material within which said member isembedded, said material being provided with a blind opening throughwhich connection with the said contact member may be made.

4. The herein described electric coupling lconsisting of asuitable stud;a metallic, snap-oncontact member to lit said stud; and a rubber pad orcushion within which the saidmember is embedded, said pad being providedwith a blind opening through which connection may be made with saidcontact member.-` l

5. The herein described-electric coupling consisting of a suit-ablestud, and insulating material surrounding the same; a metallic contactmember to lit saidy stud; suitable insulating material surrounding saidcontact Vmember and provided with a suitable opening through whichconnection may be made with -said contact member; and means on one ofsaid insulat-ions to resist the other, when the said stud makes contactwith the contact member, to produce a back pressure under the head ofthe said stud.

6.' The herein described electric coupling consisting of a suitablestud; two D-shaped conductors each having an indentation in t-hevertical line of the D; and a suitable elastic insulating materialwithin which said conductors are embedded in juxtaposition, saidmaterial being provided with anQ opening through which contact may bemade with said conductors. i

7. An electric connector comprising: two snap-on contact members; aflexible conductor connecting said contact members; and

elastic insulating material within which each of said contact members isembedded, the said material surrounding said contact membersA beingprovided at each contact member with a lsuitable opening through whichconnection may be made with the respective members.

8. An electric connector comprising: two snap-on contact members; aflexible conductor connecting said contact members; and elasticinsulating material surroundingl said exible conductor and within whicheach of said ,contact members is embedded', the saidmaterial'surrounding said contact members being provided at each contactvmember with a suitable opening through which connection i, may be madewith the respective members.

9. An electric connector comprising: two

snap-on contact members; a flexible conductor connecting said contactmembers; and elastic insulating-'material surrounding said flexibleconductor and within which each of said'contact members is embedded, thesaid material surrounding said contact members being provided at eachcontact member with a blind opening through which connection may be madewith the respective members.

10. An electric connector comprising: two

snap-on contact members; a flexible conductor, and a cord or the like,connecting said contact members; and elastic material surrounding saidflexible conductor and the cord or the like, and within which each of isaid contact members is embedded, the said material surrounding saidcontactmembers being provided at each contact member with a suitableopening through which connection may be made with the respectivemembers.

material surrounding said contact member and provided with a suitableopening, of' a suitable stud adapted to enter said opening to makecontact.. with said contact member, insulating material surrounding saidstud, and means on said insulating material to resist the said elasticinsulating material of the contact member when the said stud makescontact'with the contact member.

13. The combination with an electric coupling member consisting of ametallicmontact member, and suitable elastic insulating materialsurrounding said contact member and provided with'a suitable opening, ofa suitable stud adapted to enter said opening l to make contact withsaid,l contact member, and insulating material surrounding said stud,said insulating material being provided with a ridge to resist the saidelastic insulating material surrounding said contact member.

Signed at Leicester, in the county of Leicester, England, this 4th dayof February A. D. 1910.

A ISAAC HARDY PARSONS.

